


Friends, Foes, and Siblings

by A_Professional_Protagonist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bullying, Explicit Language, F/M, Gift Giving, HP Love Languages Mini Fest, Homophobic Language, M/M, Quality Time, Siblings, Words of Affirmation, acts of service, physical touch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:28:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29430267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Professional_Protagonist/pseuds/A_Professional_Protagonist
Summary: Ten drabbles about the Potter siblings. Sometimes they're friends; sometimes they're foes. But either way, they're stuck with each other.
Relationships: Albus Severus Potter & James Sirius Potter & Lily Luna Potter, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 18
Collections: Love Languages Mini Fest





	Friends, Foes, and Siblings

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to @thealmostrhetoricalquestion for organizing this fest. I had so much fun experimenting with drabbles.

********Words of Affirmation*******

“It’s possible I’ve been a bit of an arse about the whole Slytherin thing,” Jamie says plopping down beside his brother in the library, two weeks after the start of school. 

“You don’t say.” Al’s voice is dry and his eyes don’t leave his book.

“I’m sorry. You’re a good brother, a good person, and Slytherin doesn’t make you bad. I, however, am an arsehole and a terrible brother.”

“Did Mum put you up to this?”

“Lil bit.”

“Hmmm, apology accepted.” 

“Good!” Jamie slings an arm around his brother and ruffles his hair. “Now tell me all about the dungeons.”

*****  
Al sits and hands a water to the boy in the dirty quidditch kit. “I’m sorry you lost.”

“Your team won,” Jamie grumbles.

“Since when have I given a fuck about quidditch?”

Jamie shrugs and takes a swig. “There were scouts there today, but I played like shite.”

“There’ll be other chances.”

“I wanted to be drafted right from school, be as good as Mum.”

“She only played four years.”

“Well, that’s my fault too.”

“I would argue it’s Dad’s.”

“Point.”

Al elbows him. “I still think you’re a brilliant chaser.”

“You don’t know bollocks about quidditch,” Jamie laughs.

“Point.”

*******Quality Time*******

“The dragon dung’s neutralized. Smell.” Al gestures to the cauldron, and Lily leans forward to take a big whiff.

“That’s fucking disgusting.” Jamie’s sprawled out on an empty table, tossing a snitch.

“You’re too much of a dumb jock to apprectiate the subtle art of potion making.” 

“You mean I’m too smart to smell dragon dung?”

“Stop bickering,” Lily snaps, then softens. “Just a bit longer, Jamie, then we can have that seeker’s match.”

Jamie resumes tossing the snitch, but misses the catch, knocking over some highly explosive ingredients.

“Whoops,” he grins sheepishly, soot covering his face.

“Wanker,” Al mumbles.

*****  
Lily spies the snitch and dives with grace, a bit ahead of her brother.

Jamie dives headlong and reckless, his fingers close around the cool metal just as he loses control of his broom. He manages a spell to slow his descent enough to avert broken bones, but he doesn’t pay any attention to where he’s going to land.

He rolls into the landing, tumbling over where Al’s sitting, parchment and books fly up into the air. Jamie ends up half on top of his brother, Al’s face in his armpit, the snitch still in his hand. 

“Wanker,” Al mumbles.

*******Gift Giving*******

“S’not fair. Mum says you can’t have any cake. But it’s my cake, so I say you can.”

Jamie’s only five, but he has a strong sense of fairness. He wedges his bare toes in the gap and pulls himself up with one arm to drop the slice of cake over the bars of Lily’s cage.

“Love you, Lils.”

When Harry goes in later to wake his nine-month old daughter from her nap, he finds her grinning widely and smeared, head to toe, in chocolate. 

It’s cited as Lily’s first act of accidental magic, but her big brother knows better.

*****  
_Another Split! Will Chosen Firstborn Ever Find Love?_

Lily throws the paper in the Floo fire before setting the package in front of her brother. Jamie's wrapped in a blanket on the sofa, eyes red and smelling a bit overripe.

"Bad enough she left me without having to get _The Prophet's_ opinion on it. Page three speculates on my 'romantic shortcomings.'"

"Forget that rubbish and open your present."

Jamie peers into the bag. Two pints of Fortescue's Quadruple Chocolate. He smiles for the first time in days.

“Best sister ever.”

"I know. Now take a shower, and we'll eat these"

*******Acts of Service*******

The brown-haired boy never sees it coming. His friends’ laughter rings out as he mocks the two boys holding hands on the bench. Ponces. Poofters. Snake-lovers. The black-haired boy and his blond companion stoically ignore the taunting, eyes shining with unshed tears.

Then, the bully is crying while slimy bats fly from his nose.

“Which one of you would like to take credit for your mother’s signature hex?” 

The headmistress gives the red-haired boy and girl seated in her office a firm look perfected by decades of teaching. They stare back silently, holding hands.

She sighs. “Have a biscuit, Potters.”

*****

“Sure, you’re a Potter, but why the fuck would I go to Hogsmeade with a little baby third year?” The sixth year boy laughs as tears well up in the girl’s eyes.

He’s still laughing loudly at dinner, when he recounts the tale to his friends. He stops when donkey ears appear on his head.

The shocked look on the faces of James, Lily, and the Weasley cousins tell McGonagall they weren’t involved. 

But there’s a satisfied smirk on the face of the last Potter seated across the hall at the Slytherin table. Of course, her investigation reveals no evidence.

*******Physical Touch*******

When Lily was a toddler, she loved kissing her family. Wet, toothy smacks on Ginny and Jamie’s cheeks. On Harry’s forehead because of his prickles. Al hated it, grumbling about baby spit and biscuit crumbs.

Now, they’re huddled together in the library. He’s just told her that he’s gay, that he’s far more than friends with Scorp, that he’s terrified of being ridiculed (both for being gay and for loving a Malfoy). He’s so grateful for the feel of her warm, dry lips on his cheek, that without words she can let him know that he has her unconditional love.

*****  
“Why the fuck am I doing this?” Al bends over, hands pressed to his thighs as he struggles to breathe. 

Jamie leans against the wall, uncharacteristically put together in his formal suit.

“Because you’ve been arse over tit for him since you were eleven?”

“Not marrying Scorp! Why am I doing this big ceremony?”

“Fifty people at the Burrow is not a big ceremony.”

“I’m gonna be sick.”

“You’re gonna be fine.” Jamie does something he never does, wraps his arms around his brother and squeezes. “In, one, two, three, out, one, two, three,” he whispers as Al’s breathing steadies.

**Author's Note:**

> Say hi on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/aprofessionalprotagonist


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